Preventive Dentistry

We are strongly committed to taking a preventive approach to your care so you and your family can enjoy healthy teeth and gums for life. By focusing on prevention, rather than cure, any treatment you do need will be simpler and far less costly.

We work with you to maintain your lasting dental health by checking for signs of gum disease, identifying decay and offering invaluable dental advice, but we can only do this if you attend regular check-ups and hygiene appointments at intervals recommended by your dentist or dental therapist.

You also need to play your part by developing an effective home care routine with plenty of brushing and interdental cleaning. This also means reducing the number of ‘acid attacks’ on your teeth each day by eating sweet treats all in one go and avoiding grazing on sugary snacks between meals. Read a little more about our preventive approach here (pdf »).

Gum disease

This common condition is caused by the bacteria that develops within plaque deposits on our teeth. If this plaque is allowed to build up along the gum line, next to your teeth, it can eventually trigger gum disease. Early signs include redness, swelling, bleeding and bad breath. In smokers, signs of disease may be unnoticeable as blood flow to the gums is reduced and any redness less obvious.

Contributory factors for the development of gum disease include hormonal changes, stress, poor diet, badly placed fillings and crowns, as well as an inherited susceptibility.

Our dentists and hygienist can help protect your gums by spotting problems early during check-ups and teaching you effective cleaning techniques. We will also assess your gum disease risk factors by measuring your gums and creating a periodontal score record, as well as collecting plaque samples for analysis if necessary. Read more about gum disease control here (pdf »).

We can offer an advanced treatment known as PAD™ (Photo-Activated Oral Disinfection) which destroys all the bacteria in infected gums, unlike conventional cleaning and debridement. Read more about this simple but highly effective treatment here (pdf »).

Early preventive care

The best way to promote healthy teeth for life is to teach your children the importance of caring for their developing teeth. We can also protect newly emerged teeth with fissure sealants and fluoride treatments, and carry out saliva tests to ascertain if your child needs more proactive care to keep their teeth cavity free.

Take full advantage of our preventive care by booking an appointment with one of our dentists or our hygienist – call 01624 812157